I.perhaps, peradventure.
I. Usually in principal clauses.
A. With subj. (class. and freq.; “only so in Cicero): si altera illaec magis instabit, forsitan nos reiciat,” Ter. Phorm. 4, 5, 5: “longiorem orationem causa forsitan postulet, tua certe natura breviorem,” Cic. Lig. 12, 38 (al. fortasse postulat, v. Halm. ad loc.): “forsitan quaeratis, qui iste terror sit, etc.,” id. Rosc. Am. 2, 5; Verg. G. 2, 288: “forsitan quispiam dixerit: Nonne, etc.,” Cic. Off. 3, 6, 29 (for which: “fortasse dixerit quispiam,” id. de Sen. 3, 8): “forsitan occurrat illud, etc.,” id. de Or. 3, 9, 34: “major ars aliqua forsitan esset requirenda,” id. ib. 2, 45, 189; “1, 15, 67: illud forsitan quaerendum sit, num, etc.,” id. Off. 1, 45, 159: “haec ipsa forsitan fuerint non necessaria,” id. Brut. 13, 52: “forsitan meliores illi accusatores habendi sint,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 38, § 58: “nimium forsitan haec illi mirentur atque efferant,” id. ib. 2, 4, 56, § 124.—With sed: “quae forsitan vobis parvae esse videantur: sed, etc.,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 21 fin.; id. Att. 12, 18, 1; so with subj., Liv. 3, 25, 9: “quae forsitan laus sit, verum tamen,” Cic. Brut. 8, 33: “forsitan dicatis,” Liv. 31, 31, 19: “matrem insimulare forsitan fas non sit,” id. 39, 10, 4; 31, 38, 4; 40, 15, 4; Quint. 2, 16, 11.—
B. With indic. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; “not in Cic.): forsitan et publica, sua certe liberata fide, in castra redierunt,” Liv. 9, 11, 13; 22, 23, 5; cf. Sall. J. 106, 3: “incipies forsitan justus esse rex,” Curt. 7, 4, 17: “forsitan non periculosius est tacere quam dicere,” id. 7, 1, 37; 4, 14, 20; Liv. 21, 40: forsitan haec aliquis, nam sunt quoque, parva vocabit, Ov. R. Am. 419: “forsitan ventos timebas,” id. F. 2, 97.—
II. In dependent clauses (rare), with ut: “neque id facio, ut quibusdam forsitan videor, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 1, 8, 2.—With quam: “videor jam liberius loqui debere quam forsitan ipsi velint,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 4, § 11.—With quod: decrevi ad te scribere, quod forsitan minus ea perspicias, Serv. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5, 1.—With cum: “minime consentaneum est, cum bello tuo forsitan vix sufficias,” Liv. 10, 18, 3 (but not in Lucr. 5, 610, where the correct read. is forsitan e rosea, etc.; v. Lachm. p. 302).
